Probe panel detects huge errors in CPMT results

LUCKNOW: The nine-member high-power committee for re-evaluating the results of the Uttar Pradesh Combined Pre-Medical Test (UPCPMT), 2007, has detected huge errors in the finalisation of the successful candidates. The committee submitted its report to the State Government on Jan 20.

Nearly 85,000 candidates had written the examination conducted by the Vir Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University at Jaunpur.

Fresh results of the written test will be declared on June 21 after being vetted by the expert panel which visited Purvanchal University for conducting the probe.

The results of the exams had been announced on June 14 but were declared null and void by Chief Minister Mayawati on June 15 following violence and arson in different cities by candidates who alleged large-scale bungling in the finalisation of the results.

A student of Lucknow reportedly committed suicide after he failed to appear in the list of successful candidates.

Addressing a press conference, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh ruled out the possibility of a scam in UPCPMT-2007 but admitted that there were serious errors in the finalisation of the results. He said prima facie the faulty results were not intentional, but added that discrepancies had crept in. Mr. Singh denied that efforts were made to shield the authorities of Purvanchal University.

Stating that the guilty would not be spared, Mr. Singh said action would be taken after formally going through the voluminous report.

The Cabinet Secretary said that to ensure complete transparency the correct answers would be notified in newspapers after the fresh declaration of the results on Thursday. On the directives of the Chief Minister, the examinees have been given the option of scrutiny of their papers within eight days of the declaration of results.

Mr. Singh said the Chief Minister had issued strict guidelines to ensure that the CPMT is not bedevilled by controversy in future. Examination procedures would be laid down and nobody would be allowed to deviate, he pointed out.

Around 14,000 answer sheets were scanned by the probe panel and not a single anomaly was detected in them.

However, glaring errors surfaced in the sequencing and evaluation of answers of the four sets of question papers (the answers are given in objective).

Andhra Inter exams to be held again in May

HYDERABAD: Examinations would be held in May/June for Intermediate students who were not allowed to write the Board exams currently in progress.

This assurance was given by CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in the Assembly on Tuesday. He said this would ensure they do not lose an academic year.

Coaching classes would be conducted for such students in April/May and they would be permitted to appear for the examinations as "regular" students.

"These students will not be classified as private or supplementary students,"he said. Pointing out that the board had the right to disallow students who did not have 75 per cent attendance, the chief minister said that there was still a facility to condone the requirement by 15 per cent in special cases.

Candidates who paid a condonation fee of Rs 500 were being permitted to write the exams despite falling short of at least 60 per cent attendance, he said.

Local body polls may hit Maharashtra HSC exam schedule

PUNE: With the elections to zilla parishads and panchayat samitis due for March 11, the Maharashtra state board for secondary and higher secondary education is likely to reschedule this year's higher secondary certificate (HSC, Class XII) written exams.

All HSC papers scheduled for March 10 and 12 are likely to be postponed by a few days to facilitate the polling that is mostly carried out at school and junior college buildings, Vasant Kalpande, chairman of the board, told TOI on Monday. "A final decision will be announced soon," he said.

The practicals for HSC science subjects have commenced on February 6, while the written papers were scheduled from February 21 to March 13.

According to Kalpande, the rescheduling is unlikely to impact the written papers for key subjects like mathematics, languages and social sciences as these papers would be held before March 10, when the authorities will have to handover the school and junior college buildings to the election officials.

The polling is scheduled for March 11 (Sunday) and counting is slated for March 12. Considering this, the papers scheduled for March 10 and 12 may have to be postponed, Kalpande said.

The rescheduling is expected to impact over 57,000 candidates across the state, with the bulk of them having enrolled for vocational subject papers that are scheduled for March 12, Kalpande said.

Matric exams to commence from March 8

PATNA: As many as 691012 students would appear at the matriculation examination commencing from March 8 in the state at 1,021 centres.

The examination is being conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB).

Briefing mediapersons here on Wednesday, BSEB secretary Vinodanand Jha said the practical examinations would start from March 8 and would continue till March 10. He said the examinations for theory papers would commence from March 19 and would continue till March 26.

Jha said following the CBSE pattern, the practical examinations would be held before and it would also be held on Sunday.

He said for the benefit of the students, the BSEB has come out with a sample paper of science and social science and these are available at the BSEB counter at a price of Rs 15.

The secretary said additional time of 15 minutes have been given to the examinees to go through the question papers and the duration of the examination would be of three hours and fifteen minutes.

He said examination of only one subject would be held on a day. Examinations would not be held in two sessions as in the past.

Physically challenged examinees have been allowed to have a writer with them and they would be given extra 30 minutes per hour for writing the papers, Jha said adding that such students can also submit their answersheets like general candidates if they so wished.

Jha said some stern steps have been taken by the board for maintaining the sanctity of the examinations. He said videography would be done at all the centres and flying squads would be visiting the centres.

Awards would be given to districts for excellent performance and students found indulging in unfair means would be sternly dealt with, the secretary said.

Responsibilities would be fixed on centre superintendents and invigilators and stern action would be taken against them if found guilty, he said adding that examination of a centre would be cancelled if there was any complaint of mass-copying.

Andhra Pradesh Inter exams begin

HYDERABAD: More than 15 lakh students appeared for the Intermediate Public examinations beginning on March 5. The examinations were held from 8 to 11 a.m.

A statement issued by Board of Intermediate Education Secretary R.P. Sisodia said that 1,981 examination centres have been constituted in the State of which 154 are in the twin cities. Of the 15.13 lakh candidates taking the examination 7.1 lakh are first year regular students and 5.48 lakh are second year regular students while 1.84 lakh students are appearing as private candidates.

Mr. Sisodia asked the students to report to the examination centres 30 minutes before scheduled time. No student reporting after 8.15 would be allowed inside the hall. A control room has been opened at the BIE office at Hyderabad. People can contact the number 24601010 for assistance.

Candidates involved in malpractices would be booked for punishment that ranges from debarment for two to five or eight subsequent examinations.

Mobile phones and other electronic gadgets would not be allowed inside the examination hall.

No exams for 10,000 Andhra Pradesh Inter students

HYDERABAD : About 10,000 students of government junior colleges have been denied hall tickets for the Intermediate public examinations beginning on March 5. The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has denied them hall tickets for shortage of attendance. BIE secretary R.P. Sisodia put the figure at 8,000 students, almost all of them belonging to government colleges. 

“There may be some exceptions like one or two private college students,” Mr Sisodia told this correspondent. “The rule of attendance is applicable to all government, corporate and private college students. We go by the attendance chart submitted by the college principals,” Mr Sisodia said. As per the BIE rules, a student must have 75 per cent attendance. Students with 60 per cent attendance can pay Rs 500 and appear as private candidates.

While about 10,000 students paid Rs 500 and would appear as private candidates, an equal number could not pay the money and did not get their hall tickets, sources said. Meanwhile, a student who was denied a hall ticket was found dead on Sunday. Police is still to determine if the death of Nagendra Babu, 17, was a murder, accident or suicide. Babu had gone missing on Saturday and his body was found on the railway tracks near Munnamvaripalem gate in Prakasam district on Sunday.

Babu was an MPC student of Bapatla Arts and Science College. He had been denied a hall ticket due to lack of attendance. His parents reportedly scolded him for this. The college reportedly denied hall tickets to 63 first year Inter students and 57 second year Inter students. Government lecturers on condition of anonymity said BIE officials should relax attendance the rules. “We teachers know which student can pass and who can score distinction. Depending on our feedback, the BIE can allow fast learners to take exams,” they said.

There was a curious case in Khammam where the BIE did not give hall tickets to 634 students particularly in the Agency area. ITDA, Bhadrachalam, project officer Buddha Prakash Jyothi and sub-collector Yogita Rana asked principals to issue hall-tickets as the colleges were closed for two months due to floods in the Godavari, but in vain.

Students Federation of India secretary Hari Kishore and Madiga Students Front president V. Srinivas Madiga said over 10,000 students of government colleges, most of whom were SCs, STs, BCs and minorities from economically weaker sections would miss the exam due to the “inhuman and irrational” rule of the BIE. “When BIE officials cannot verity attendance of corporate college students, what right they have got to deny the poor SC and ST students their hall tickets?

This will only result in an increase in the dropout rate and such young boys and girls getting attracted to anti-social activities and the Maoist movement. This attendance rule is ultimately being confined to only government colleges which is not justified,” Hari Kishore and Srinivas Madiga said.  BIE secretary Sisodia said the students can appear for the advanced supplementary examinations in May/June provided they obtain requisite attendance by attending summer special classes to be held after the IPE-2007.